Post anchor



Aug. 26, 1930'.

REAL EL TATE A. H; NlcKERsoN 1,774,288

POST ANCHOR Filed 0G13 l2, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l as; f i #4 31a/manto@ Jderdon.

Patented ug. 26, 1930` 1 UNITED; sfla'ras PATENT, OFFICE n ALBERT H.` NICKERSON, F PAWTUGKET, `B'IElOIXEI ISLAND POST .ANCHOR i Application filed October 12, 1929.' Serial No. 399,281.

This invention relates l to certain new and 'L 'usefulimprovements in post anchors and f while the post is illustrated in the accompanying drawings for the support and display of a real estate sign or board, it isfunderstoo'd thatthe invention is ofy considerr ably broader aspects,thevprimary object being to provide a ground anchored post of-any character, such as sign posts, fence posts, .10 poles or anyshaft adapted for f chOring.

An 'mportant object of this invention is to Y provide agroundfanchored post whereinthe Y n ground entering end of the post has a spear l5 Shaped headvsecured thereto with ground anchor arms yassociated with the lower end of Y the post to prevent removal of the post from the ground by their cooperationwith the post head vand rendered vinoperable upon partialy' rotation ofthe post to permit removal of the post from the ground. p

YA further objectof the inventionis to prov vide a post anchor of thetype above' set forth Iny thej accompanying drawings 'showingy the preferred embodiment of the inventionr '3'5 and torwhich reference is had by like char-y acters designating corresponding parts throughout the several views v Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a posi equipped with the improved groundanchor v 4 constructed in accordance withV the present f invention, the post being illustrated as yanchored in the ground vwiththe sign plate carried bythe upper-end thereof shown in front elevation, y

Figure 2 is another side elevational view Vof the post showing the sign plate inV edge ele'- vation, i Y. c"

- Figure 3 is a detail vertical sectional view 5o taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1, Y

ground ansists in the l'novel construction, combination t 'Figure is a. horizontal detail sectional view taken online 4 4 ofFigure 2, Figure 5 is a horizontal sectionall view taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1, showingrthe device attached to the post andengaged with 5b the ground line to prevent unauthorized rotationof the post to effect itsremoval,l

Figure 6 is a `fragmentary side elevational view ofthe lower end of the .post showing the spear head shaped anchor foot attached to y the flower end of the post with the ground anchor arms extended to their horizontal operative positions, the arms being illustrated by dottedlines asvertically disposed andk by v full lines in the position assumed whenA the post is set into-the ground, j c

Figure 7 is a 4fragmentary side elevational View Vof the lowerend ofthe post showing the' post and spear head shaped footrotated through an arc of 90rel'ative to the ground 70 i' anchor arms and supporting collar thereforV `with the pivoted ends of thearms displacedY from 'engagement withthe side shoulders of the spear head shaped foot andassuming de'- pending positions at the sides of the foot for v removal from the ground, Figure 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken at the opposite side from the c showing in Figure,

Figure 9-is an enlarged detail vsectional .80' view taken on line 9 9 .of Figure 6 showing the cross pin connection between the post and foot and the collar through' which the post 'extends and showing the fiat sides of the foot.

Figure 10 is an enlarged ldetailsectional 85v View taken online 10-10 of Figure 8 show-` ing the-inclined or tapering side edges of the spear head shapedfoot and the abutments on the pivotedl ends of the ground anchor arms engaged with side shoulders at the upper end ofthefoot. L Y n lFigure 11 is' an enlarged horizontal detail sectional view-takenon line 11-11 of Fig-y i ure 6 F'gure 12 is an enlarged horizontal detail 95 sectional view taken on line 12-1'2 of Figure 6, and Y Figure 13 is a detail sectional view, similar to Figure 12 showing the post and anchor foot f shifted through an arc of 90o from the posi- 190 clearly shown in Figure 9.

tion shown in Figure 12 and illustrating the side shoulders of the anchor foot that retain the anchor arms in their` operative horizontal positions. y

Referring more in detail to the accompanying drawings, and particularly to Figures 1 to there is illustrated a ground anchored post 1 having a ground anchoring foot 2 at its lower end, a ground line plate 3 to prevent rotation of the post while a sign plate or board etis carried by the upper end of the post, and as previously stated, it is to be understood that the post may be used in various connections and is not intended to be limited for the display of a real estate sign or board.

The post 1 is illustrated as being of tubular construction with a cap 5 mounted uponits upper end, the sign plate being secured to the post through the medium oi rivets 6 or other fastening devices passing through the post and plate with spacer blocks 7 interposed between the post and plate.

The ground anchor for the post is shown more clearly in Figures 6 to 18, the lower end of the tubular post 1 receiving the tang 8 of the spear head shaped toot 9, the loot being anchored in the lower end of the post by the cross pin that has its opposite ends 10n projecting beyond the sides ot the post as l The spear head shaped foot 9 has parallel side faces 11 in the same plane as thc outer face of the post 1 while the opposite side edges 12 incline or taper upwardly from the lower point 13 toward the base or" the tang 8 to provide side shoulders 111 extending outwardly of the post l The tapering edges 12 ol' the toot are continuous from end to end while the parallel `side faces 11 of the foot taper at their lower portions as at 11a to the point 13 of the foot as shown in Figure 9. ls previously described, the :toot 9 is anchored to the post 1 by the cross pin 10 and upon rot-ation ot the post, the foot moves therewith.

A collar 1.5 is rotatably mounted upon the lower end of the post 1 and is engaged with the abutment shoulders 111 ot the anchor foot and has opposite sides at the upper edges cut away as at 16 into which the end extensions 10 of the cross pin 10project wnich prevents upward movement of the collar upon the post l, but permits limited rotation thereof, the cutaway portions 1G delining stop shoulders 17 and 18 on the collar. Pairs of spaced diametrically opposite apertured lugs 19 are carried by the collar 15 adjacent the shoulders' 17 and pivotally support upon the cross pin 20, the inner ends of ground anchor arms 21. Each arm 21 has a flattened side adjacent its pivot end to provide an abutment 22 for flat contact with the shoulder 14 upon the spear head shaped toot 9 to retain the arms in operative horizontal positions as shown in Figures 6 and 10.

In setting and anchoring the post 1 in the ground G, the sinking of the post may be aided by the initial boring or excavation of an opening or hole, the arms 21 being vertically disposed as shown in Figure The post is driven into the ground to the desired depth and upon slight upward movement thereof, the outwardly beveled ends 21a of the arms bite into the ground and cause the arms to be shifted to a horizontal position and resist further upward movement of the post, the abutments 22 on ther arms limiting ,downwardly swinging movements thereot` by contact with the shoulders 141 upon the foot. To prevent the post 1 and head 9 from rotation for displacement o' the arm abutment from contact with the shoulders, a disk plate 23, shown in Figures 1, 2 and 5 has a central boss 24 anchored to the post 1 by the rivet 25, angle arms 26 carried by the disk plate 23 being forced into the ground (if as shown in Figure 1 to prevent rotation of the post and toot. yWhen it is desired to removethe post from the ground, the rivet or similar fastening for anchoring the disk plate 23 to the post is destroyed to permit tree rotation or" the post through the disk plate and upward movement thereof. The post 1 and foot 9 are-then rotated through an are of 90o, the rotation being limited bythe shoulders 17 and 18 on the cutaway portions of the collar 15, the collar and arms 21 remaining stationary as the arms are embedded in the ground'. When the post and foot are so rotated, the shoulders 14 upon the toot 9 are displaced trom the abutments 22 oi the arms 21 with the flat sides 11 of the head 9 disposed beneath and inw vardly of the pivot pins 2O of the arms as shown in Figure 7 and at which time upward movement of the post will permit downward pivotal movement olf the arms and tree removal of the post from the ground, lt will therefore be seen that the post is securely anchored in the ground against unauthorized removal and that it is necessary to destroy the connection between the ground plate 3 or disk 23 and the post 1 to permit removal of the 1post.

From the above detailed description of the invention it is believed that the construction and operation will at once be apparent, and while there is herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of the invention it is to be understood that such changes may be made therein as will :Call within the scope of the invention as claimed.

lVhat 1 claim is:

1. A post anchor comprising a post, a foot iiXed thereto having side shoulders disposed laterally ot the post, a collar on the post above the shoulders and ground anchor arms pivoted on the collar to engage the shoulders when horizontally positioned to prevent removal of the post from the ground, a pin for securing the collar to the post, said collar having edge cutaway portions defining spaced shoulders and the ends of the pin eX- tending beyond the post into the cutaway.y portionsto engage the shoulders for limiting rotary movement of the postand foot.y

2. A post anchor comprising a post, al foot liXed thereto having side shoulders disposed iaterally of the post, a collar on the post above the shoulders and ground anchor arms pivoted on the collar to engage the shoulders Vlro'when horizontally positioned to prevent relaterally of the post, a collar on the post above the shoulders and ground anchor arms pivoted on the collar to engage the Yshoulders when horizontally positioned to prevent relmoval of the post from the ground7 a pin for securing the collar to the post, said collar having edge cutaway portionsr dening spaced shoulders and the ends oi the pin eX- tending beyond thek postl into the cutaway `portions to engage the shoulders for limiting rotary movementot lthe post andfoot and means on the post engaging the ground to prevent rotation lof the postvand'foot.

4. A .post anchor kcomprising a post, a foot iXed thereto having side shoulders disposed laterally of the post, a collaron the post above the shoulders rand ground anchor arms pivcollar to be limited by the shoulders in downward pivotal movements. c v

6. A post anchor comprising ay tubular post, a foot havingy a tang entering the lower end of the post and being of Spearhead shape with diametrically opposite side shoulders y outwardly of the post, a collar through which the post is rotatable'restingon the shoulders, a pin extending through the post and tang abovecthe collar to retain the collar on the post and ground anchor arms pivoted'on the collar to be limited by the shoulders in downward pivotal movements,` and said pin and collar cooperating-to limit rotary movement Y of the post and foot for displacing the foot shoulders from abutting engagement by the arms. i

ln testimony whereof I atlx'my signature. ALBERT H. NIGKERSON.`

y 10ok oted on Vthe collarto engage the shoulders 1 when horizontally positioned to prevent removal of the post from thepground, the sides of the ytoot between the shoulders being in the same plane as the post whereupon rotay tion et the post and foot, t-he arm'rnay pivot downwardly, a pin for'securing the collar to the post, said collar having edge cutaway portions defining spaced shoulders and the f ends of the pin extending beyond the post, v

into the cutaway portions to engage the `shoulders for limiting'rotary movement of the posty and foot and means on the post engaging the ground to prevent rotation of the post andfoot. Y

5. Ak post anchor comprising a tubular post, a foot having a tang entering the lower end of the post and being of spear head shape with diametrically opposite side shoulders outwardly of the post, a collar through which the post is rotatable resting on the shoulders, a pin extending through the post and tang above the collar to retain the collar on the post and ground anchor arms pivoted on the VDey c 

